Speech by By Sophia Opei, 15, Plan Youth Reporter from Ghana

FOR all of us children, particularly those of us living in rural communities of Pakistan, India and Ghana (where I come from) I thought I was dreaming.

For me, Sophia, a poor girl from a poor family in Ghana going to Australia this was awesome and historic.

Plan has made this dream a reality. Australia seemed so far away. We have learnt about Melbourne and the Commonwealth Games through information technology even before we got here. As a result, we the youth of today, have more and better opportunities to develop our potential more fully.

This trip, sponsored by Plan International, is just the tip of the iceberg of Plan’s role in making a difference in the lives of children in deprived communities. Plan also helps to promote the rights of children by supporting our communities in projects to fulfill the rights of children in the area of our education, health, water, sanitation and livelihood opportunities for our well-being and development.

We are here to participate in Plan Australia’s Commonwealth Games Youth Media Program to develop a platform for information exchange between Australia and developing countries in addition to building relationships among the youth groups.

Children today who make up 70 per cent of the Commonwealth are not always given the opportunity to realise our full potential due to the lack of basic necessities such as food, education, access to basic health services and to participate meaningfully in discussions and policy issues affecting us. It is our hope that this program would help us address these childhood challenges.

I wish to appeal to our leaders and Governments to stop paying lip service to the plight of children and to commit more resources that are in the best interest of the child especially in the area of child exploitation, lack of education, lack of a national identity so that we can have the opportunity to grow up in a more secure, healthy environment for the survival, protection, development and effective participation of all children.

Over 48 million children each year are not registered at birth and this has serious implications on our lives. Without a birth certificate, which is our ticket to citizenship, our national identity, we children become more vulnerable and prone to exploitation, abuse, neglect and insecurity.

I hope we take advantage of this unique opportunity to share ideas, share experiences of best practices from our cultures and traditions, thoughts, information, and to take action for ourselves back home as change agents in our respective communities to make a difference in our lives.

The future depends on us, today’s children, who will become tomorrow’s adults and leaders. So we would like to believe that the Commonwealth will continue to grow from strength to strength with our rights fulfilled and our potential well developed through effective and meaningful child participation such as this Youth Media Commonwealth Games initiative of Plan.

I would like to ask children, youth and adults to commit and contribute to make the Youth Media Commonwealth Program memorable by being a part of Plan, a family of people with shared dreams, hopes and a common goal which is to create a common wealth for all children, especially those living in deprived communities.

On behalf of all children and Plan Australia I say "ayeeko" and akwaaba". Welcome to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne March 2006 and have a very nice and wonderful Youth Media experience.